MSA 2 - 1 Melnais (299150612)

Overcast weather free of rain made for a crowd turnout of 48522 at Arena MSA today. Robert Pettersson was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Jean-Noël Van Doorslaar and Per Risbeck. MSA tactics involved an interesting 4-5-1 combination. Lineup: Iliescu - Bladyka, Van Damme, Steuben, Subatauskis - Weisswasser, Vanaģelis, Ignatowicz, Hatuļevs, Rotaru - Mendes.

Melnais decided to use a 3-5-2 set up. The following players took the field: Kudiņš - Muheim, Pexider, Mihálik - Hénaut, Bernaerts, Caçapava, Rikkinen, Veldt - Aguilar, Fuhlsbüttel.

MSA took the lead 17 minutes into the match after a magnificent free kick by T. Van Damme that made the score 1 - 0. After 28 minutes, the visitors levelled the scores after D. Fuhlsbüttel made it through the middle and struck home to make it 1 - 1. The opposing supporters gave the referee an earful when he only gave G. Hénaut from Melnais a yellow card after a mistimed challenge from behind 34 minutes into the game. That was far too lenient! The teams went for the halftime break at 1 - 1. Melnais claimed to have seen most of the ball, and the statistics agreed with them - possession being 52 percent.

75 minutes into the game, I. Aguilar was a hair's breadth away from giving Melnais the lead with a shot from over on the left. A prompt block by S. Iliescu saved the home team that time. 78 minutes into the game, D. Fuhlsbüttel almost gave the visitors the lead, as he clipped a delicate lob over the keeper, but the ball glanced harmlessly off the crossbar. The counterattack by MSA resulted in a free kick that T. Van Damme bent under the crossbar - 2 - 1! Melnais enjoyed most of the ball, as they maintained 55 percent of possession.

Most important MSA player was J. Steuben. S. Iliescu on the other hand, had a terrible day. T. Bernaerts performed admirably for Melnais. On the other hand, M. Veldt's play was disheartening. The match ends 2 - 1.